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Garlic As A Medicine Rather Than Food

I think that it is probably not a surprise to many of you that garlic is more than a vegetable to help flavor foods or to ward off vampires. It has regained its popularity as a healing agent in the recent past but it has been used by different cultures around the world for thousands of years. Our Native American ancestors were no different and found several uses for this pungent little vegetable belonging to the Allium family.

American Indians Used Garlic For Many Things

If someone had experienced a snake bite or had a wound that needed healing, garlic was used to aid in that healing process. When a member of the tribe had a respiratory ailment, a syrup was made with garlic that would relieve congestion and fight off the bacteria causing the infection in the lungs and bronchial tubes.

Their biggest discovery that was nothing short of a major medical breakthrough when the Europeans learned about it was that garlic is very high in vitamin C which could be used to cure Scurvy. At the time, many of the people who had made that long trip across the ocean were suffering from this disease because of the lack of foods available that were rich in vitamin C. Scurvy could be fatal and the American Indians helped to cure many with their garlic remedy. Pretty profound for a people who were looked at as savages at the time!

Modern Science Hails Garlic

There have been literally hundreds of scientific tests done with garlic in recent years. Researchers of today have found that there is an antiviral and antibacterial property to garlic when it is crushed. This is from the substance that is released called allicin. Not only will it work for getting rid of viral and bacterial infections but it can also work on infections caused by fungi and yeast. Some are even using it to combat those awful flu viruses plaguing people across the globe.

Our Native American ancestors already knew that this vegetable could assist in clearing up lungs and bronchial tubes when they were congested, modern researchers are finding that it does indeed help due to the oils contained in the plant. Long before modern scientists began to study the benefits of garlic, our ancestors also knew that the sulfur contained in garlic will help rid the body of parasites and worms.

Recent findings have shown that garlic may be an important factor in reducing the risk of heart attacks. It can reduce blood pressure, reduce levels of the harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood, and reduces the tendency for our bodies to form blood clots. Some researchers believe that one glove of garlic a day is enough to produce these protective effects for our hearts.

It has also been found to help with diabetes, migraine headaches, irregular heartbeats, and poor circulation in the legs. It might even protect against certain types of cancer.

Methods Of Use For Garlic

The simplest and most beneficial way to use garlic is to eat it and preferably raw. That is an acquired taste, I have to admit but it is the most helpful way for your body to receive it. The good news is: garlic will retain its medicinal properties when used in other forms.

You can make garlic tea! Not exactly the most tasty of teas but if you are suffering from the cold or flu it will help you. Chop or mash several cloves and let them steep in a cup of water for 6 to 8 hours. You can drink it as a tea or use it to gargle with if your throat is sore.

Garlic Oil can be used for helping with a earache. Mash a clove of garlic and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat this mixture briefly and then store in a dark bottle that has a good stopper. Use when needed.

Syrup with garlic takes a little while to make but it is worth it. To a quart of boiling water add 1 pound of garlic. Remove from the heat and let stand for 12 hours. Add enough sugar to make it the consistency of a syrup. This can be used to help with coughs. The taste isn’t so great so some people will add honey or other things to help with the taste. Some believe that if you take small amounts of this syrup each day that it will help build your immunity and help your heart stay healthy.